China steps up supervision on myopia correction

Updated:
Apr 8,2019 7:43 PM
Xinhua

BEIJING — The Chinese government has taken moves to further regulate and supervise myopia correction among young people.

Institutions and individuals engaged in myopia correction must operate in accordance with the law, read a circular jointly issued by six government agencies including the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education.

They are forbidden to use terms such as “recovery”, “cure” or other exaggerated expressions to mislead parents.

It is unlawful to cheat consumers or seek illegitimate interests by fraudulently using the name of traditional Chinese medicine or its theory, according to the circular.

The myopia correction sector has been plagued by prominent problems including false and exaggerated propaganda on treatment effects in recent years, seriously misleading parents and threatening children’s visual health.

“Myopia cannot be cured with current medical technology,” said ophthalmologist Li Songfeng with the Beijing Tongren Hospital.

Children and adolescents can only prevent, control and alleviate myopia through proper use of their eyes and increasing time spent outdoors.

It is necessary to create a comprehensive myopia protection system to tackle irregularities in the myopia correction sector, Li suggested.

If children spend 10 hours a week playing outdoors, the myopia rate can decrease markedly, according to Li.